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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23793493">Tales from Etheria</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/salutarykitten/pseuds/salutarykitten'>salutarykitten</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Original Character Death(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 22:42:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,437</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23793493</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/salutarykitten/pseuds/salutarykitten</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>We've seen the macro scale of the Etherian war, but how does it affect the little people?  This is the story of the unseen Horde soldiers, the background villagers, and the little people of Etheria.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Just Another Day in the Horde</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Get up, Liz.” 6 AM.  Fuck.</p><p>Orcra was shaking her bed.  “You’re gonna get the whole squad punished gain, Liz, and I’m not standing for it.”</p><p>Liz groaned, light piercing her eyes as she struggled to open them.</p><p>“You need to cut this shit out, Orcra.”  Dogra was up already, of course.  She never missed a chance to outdo her.  “Liz works twice as hard as you and has the best time on the course.”</p><p>“And yet she’s the reason I have to run laps after every module.” Orcra shoved one of her fins in Liz’s bleary eyes.  “If you’re late again, I’ll beat the shit out of you.”  And then Orcra was gone.</p><p>Dogra sighed.  “You can’t keep doing this, Liz.”</p><p>“I can do whatever I want.  It’s not your problem.”</p><p>“It’s my problem when the rest of the squad is getting ready to kill you!  How are we gonna defeat the rebellion like this?”</p><p>“SQUAD X, PLEASE REPORT TO THE TRAINING AREA FOR EVALUATION.”</p><p>Liz groaned as she forced her Horde vest on.  Another day in hell.</p><p>Riolo was waiting for them, as usual.  “Hordak has viewed your performances and decided you’re ready for active duty.”</p><p>“What?  We’re the youngest-”</p><p>Riolo cut off Orcra immediately. “Every Horde Soldier available is being called upon.  One of our most promising soldiers, Force Captain Adora, has been abducted by the rebel fortress of Thaymor.”</p><p>“We all know what these rebellion scum are capable of.  Torture.  Mind wiping.”  Catra had slunk into the room.  Liz hated her.  She always looked down on everyone, even though Adora was the only reason Catra was even close to greatness. No wonder her and that psychopath Shadow Weaver were freaking out about Adora disappearing.  She probably got lost in the woods or something.  Idiot.</p><p>“Shadow Weaver will eviscerate each and every one of you if we don’t get Adora back.  And I’ll finish the job if I sense even one of you not willing to die for this cause.”</p><p>“Force Captain Catra, please, we’re not ready for active duty,” Jem whimpered.</p><p>Catra growled, leaping forward and slashing her claws at Jem’s cheeks.  Riolo smirked.  “Anyone else got complaints?” Silence.  “Dismissed.”</p><p>Liz couldn’t stop seeing Jem’s blood.  Her own blood.  The monstrous Queen Angella using her magic to worm inside her orifices, eviscerating every atom of her body.  Frosta using her ice to slowly freeze her to death, bit by bit.</p><p>“Liz.  Liz.  Liz?”  Moon, she wished Dogra would just shut up sometimes.  “It’s going to be okay.  I won’t let anything happen to you.”  Liz shoved Dogra’s hand off her as she tried to cradle her shoulder.</p><p>“I can take care of myself, Dogra!  I don’t need you always babying me.” Before Dogra could respond, Liz ran off to the vehicle bay.</p><p>Until yesterday, Liz had the record for highest time on the course. “Force Captain” Adora had to smash that, of course.  She had won or come second in every tournament.  But she was small, and young, so no one would give her any credit.</p><p>So why did the thought of combat make her want to vomit?</p><p>She found some random soldier she’d never spoken to and got in her tank.  An eagle person.  She could tell from the look in their eyes that they recognized her, but she couldn’t care less.</p><p>Thaymor.  The Horde had been planning this attack for months.  She never expected to actually be trusted with this mission.</p><p>She could see Dogra out of the cockpit of a tank several down from her.  Eyes gleaming, wind running through her hair.  Even in the face of death, Dogra’s optimism was unstoppable.</p><p>She hated her so much.</p><p>Thaymor wasn’t anything like what Liz expected.  It was a village of tiny dirt huts, lots of flowers and grass.  The whole place was colourful, with people throwing around rainbow strings and pieces of paper.  Maybe it was some kind of demonic ritual.</p><p>Catra’s tank was the first to fire on the village. Liz followed her quickly.  The sensation of watching these monsters burnt to a crisp, their pathetic homes shattering like an old ration.  Liz couldn’t help but laugh, making the eagle person beside her squirm.</p><p>The magic was nothing like what Riolo told them during training.  Decimating the village was easier than the robots in training.  Listening to their screams made her laugh.  Sweet revenge for the terror she’d lived in all her life.</p><p>Then a glow.  Liz blinked.  A light yellow blur went across the periscope.  Liz saw Catra rolling around on the ground, fighting with some peasant shooting sticks at her.  Why had Catra gotten out of her tank?</p><p>The blur froze in front of her.  Liz screeched.</p><p>Long, flowing blonde hair. Rippling muscles.  Liz felt like the glow was infecting her, dissolving her insides.  This was magic.  This was a princess.</p><p>Why did she look so familiar?</p><p>That face… Plastered on so many posters by Shadow Weaver.  “This is what you aspire to.  If you can’t match Adora’s level, you shouldn’t even bother.  Pathetic.”</p><p>Tears streamed down Liz’s face.  She couldn't stop shaking from fear.  “Force Captain Adora?”</p><p>What had happened to her?  Before Liz could process it, before she could even move, Adora slashed a sword, ripping the tank apart.</p><p>If Liz was still alive, she would’ve laughed.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Glimmer the Revolutionary</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Tina was Princess Glimmer’s biggest fan.  Her teleport attack, her sparkle charge, her beautiful clothes.  Tina’s bedroom was filled with posters, action figures.  She had merchandise from different fairs and festivals all over Etheria.  She had things for all the other princesses as well, but Glimmer was her favourite.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And now she was in Glimmer’s own squadron.  She almost fainted whenever she thought of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Attention, soldiers!” Glimmer’s mouth formed a thin line.  She’d only ever seen Glimmer smiling, waving, jumping up and down.  This was a whole other side of her.  Tina felt like she was getting to see a special side of her idol.  “The Horde takes, and takes, and takes.  They destroy, they murder, they mutilate.  They won’t stop until our homeland is unrecognizable.  We all know the putrid wasteland that makes up the Fright Zone. Do you want Bright Moon to become that hellscape?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“NO!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you want to kneel to Hordak?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“NO!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you want to become a dictatorship?  Do you want to have your minds controlled by machines?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“NO!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then onward, brave Lunarites!  You are the best of what Bright Moon has to offer.  You are all heroes.  Every single one of you.”  Glimmer’s eyes were fixed ahead, but Tina imagined she was staring right at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One of the Queensguard approached Glimmer.  Glimmer scowled.  What gave her the right to interrupt Glimmer?  This Queensguard couldn’t give a speech if Angella herself used magic to control her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Commander Glimmer, I have orders directly from the Queen.  We must back down. The Horde’s strongest soldiers have been sent to take Elberon. We don’t stand a chance.  Queen Angella requests this detachment’s immediate return to Bright Moon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Murmurs erupted from the regiment.  No.  This couldn’t be happening.  This was Tina’s chance to prove herself to Glimmer.  “Attention, everyone.” Glimmer cleared her throat.  “Does everyone remember Brigis? Or Phlax?” Silence.  “Anyone?  Of course you don’t.  They were destroyed decades ago.  Now they’re just another blob on the oncoming Horde monstrosity.”  Glimmer stomped her foot.  “No more!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“NO MORE!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We have been backing down for decades.  We have been giving the Horde territory.  We have tried to appease them, to back off.  They will not stop.  They will not be finished until every single member of the Rebellion is dead!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“NO MORE! NO MORE!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tell the Queen that Elberon is a part of the Rebellion.  Tell the Queen that Elberon will remain a part of the rebellion.  Tell her we will. Not.  Bow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The entire regiment erupted into cheers.  A girl beside her murmured, “Wow, she’s so cool.  We’re so lucky.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tina’s eyes gleamed.  “She’s perfect.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Queensguard tried to protest, but she couldn’t be heard over the cheers of the crowd.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The detachment marched on Elberon.  Everyone was talking about defeating the Horde, taking back Elberon, how they’d all be heroes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tina was thrown into the air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her ears were ringing.  Her entire body shrieked as she hit the ground.  It took her what felt like a thousand years to get up and look around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Horde soldiers had flooded from behind them.  It was a trap.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Glimmer.  Glimmer would save them.  She looked at her, raising a hand.  “Help.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Glimmer teleported away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This was the last thing Tina saw before a dozen blaster bolts evaporated her</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A/N: Hi everyone!  I love She-Ra with all my heart but one of the most frustrating things for me is that, unlike Avatar and other shows like this, I feel like Etheria doesn't get that fleshed out, so I wanted to show how the main characters actions affect others in Etheria.  The idea of this is to flesh out things that are just mentioned in passing, things that we don't get to see, etc. I wrote two of these and then ran out of steam, if people really like it I may write more?  Right now I've lost motivation for it and am working on some other stuff, but I thought I'd post these anyway even if I'm not sure if it'll be more than these two one-shots.  Thanks for reading!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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